Siphon-break for flush valves, etc.



June M, 1932. H. wl-:SSON

n SIPHON BREAK FOR FLUSH VALVES,

ETC

' Filed Dec. 13, 1929 Patented June 14, 1932V ,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAROLD WESSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, .ASSIG-NOR TO SMITH AND WES- SON, INC., OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS Steenen-Banen `ron FLUSH Vanves, nrc.

Application filed December 13, 1929. Serial No. 413,750.`

rlihis invention relates to means for controlling the ow of fluids through conduits or other passages under normal conditions as well as under conditions tending to create a vacuum in the conduit or passage through which the fluids pass.

Reversal of How of fluid through a conduit or through some portion thereof is often undesirable and in some cases-such reversal may lead to disastrous results. For example, it may be that after passing a certain point or section of the conduit the luid therein becomes contaminated and if reversal of iow were to be permitted all of the fluid inthe conduit or in communication therewith might become polluted so as to be unfit for purposes for which it would otherwise be suitable. Conditions of this kind occur in the operation of water-closets having a ush valve for iiushing the basin. These iiush valves are commonly supplied with water which is also used for drinking purposes.- ln at least one instance where the system on the admission side of this val-ve was drained, the removal of water created a suicient vacuum to draw water from the basin of the water-closet backwardly through the valve and into the system from which drinking water was supplied, thus polluting this drinking water and resulting in several cases of typhoid fever.

Objects of the present invention are to provide for avoiding occurrences of this kind; to provide means for breaking any vacuum which might tend to draw fluid through a conduit in a direction opposite to that of normal How and to accomplish this by admitting air to the conduit; to provide for admitting air to a conduit or passage without using check valves or other devices having moving parts; to provide for embodying these improvements in iush valves; to provide an attachment for incorporating these features in flush valves now in use; and to provide simple and eiiicientmeans of durable construction for accomplishing these purposes.

The present invention contemplates the provision of ports in a conduit or other passage through which reversal of ow is to be avoided. These ports may communicate with the atmosphere through passages extending How, while the creation of sucient vacuum to cause low in the opposite direction is prevented by admission of air to the conduit.

The invention also resides in the construction and arrangement of parts whereby the apparatus may be of simple, eihcient and durable construction and yet relatively inexpensive to manufacture or'to incorporate either in existing valves or in new valves.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a view showing the upper portion of a flush valve in elevation andthe lower portion -in section;

Fig. 2 is asection on the line 2-2 of F ig. 1 with the valve removed from its seat;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the' lowerportion of a iiush valve and the discharge connection therefor;

'F ig. 4c is a section on the line 4 4. of Fig.

3 with the valve removed from itsseat;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. l

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation showing. the dischar e connection for a Hush valve; and

Fig. ring shown in Fig. 6.

For the purpose of illustration the fea-` tures of this invention are shown as applied to flush valves of the type disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 356,947,

iled'April 22, 1929. In Fig. 1 the valve cas-1 ing lO has inlet and discharge connections 11' and 12 respectively, the discharge connection having an inner beveled snrface 14 on which the valve 16 seats. This casin has circumferentially spaced and longitudinally extend charge connection. These longitudinal and is a top plan view ofjthe annular radial holes cooperate with the annular recess 15 to provide tortuous passages for conducting air through the valve casing. A flanged ring 13 may be pressed over the lower end of the casing to providea wide annular 'end surface for engagement with packing ring 28 with an annular space thereabove through which the holes 17 communicate with the interior. 1

While these passages may, if desired, communicate directly with the atmosphere, it has been found advantageous to provide a receiving chamber, such as the annular chamber 21, for supplying air to these passages. To facilitate attachment the shell 22 of this chamber may be formed integrally with a nut 23 which is engageable with exterior threads on the discharge connection. The upper edge of the shell 22 is turned inwardly to define with the adjacent portion of the valve casing an annular port for admitting air to the chamber. This admission port vis slightly above the radial holes, and it will be seen that the air passages thus provided follow tortuous courses, a feature which is effective for preventing water or other fluid from backing up through the air passages and escaping to the atmosphere. The lower edge of the nut 23 carries an inwardly directed lip 24 which serves as a seat for the outwardly directed flange 26 of the discharge pipe 27 and a packing ring 28 is disposed between the pipe flange and the end of the discharge connection for assuring a fluidtight connection.

Experiments conducted with apparatus of this character indicate that the air passages may communicate with the fluid passage at various points but for convenience of inspection or repair as well as for the purpose of providing a compact, nested and yet durable construction it is advantageous to locate the air passages adjacenta connection, as adjacent the discharge connection of a flush valve as shown.

The air passages are kept open under all conditions of operation, and when the flush valve operates in a normal manner the passage of fluid through the discharge connection draws air inwardly through these passages. On the other hand, should the fluid be removed through the inlet connection for any reason, there would be a tendency to create at least a partial vacuumI which would tend to lift the valve from its seat and to draw fluid upwardly through the discharge connection into the valve casing, and thence through the inlet connection thereof into the system connected therewith. Occurrences of this kind are prevented, however, by the air passages which under these conditions function to admit a sufficient quantity of air to break any vacuum which might otherwise be created, thereby preventing a reversal Of flow through the flush valve.

The apparatus shown in Figs. 3 t6 7 is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the exception that the air passages are provided in separate attachments which may be connected to flush valves now in use. .In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 valve casing 10 has a discharge connection 32 provided with an interior beveled surface 33 on which the valve16 seats. A nut 34 engageable with exterior threads on the discharge connection has an inwardly directed lip 36 uponwhich the outwardly directedflange 37 of the discharge pipe 38 rests and a packing ring 39 interposed between this outwardly. directed flange and the end of the discharge connection assures a fluid-tight connection. To provide passages for admitting air to break any vacuum which might be created, the pipe 38 has a number -of holes 41, preferably arranged in a circumferential row, and an annular member 42 is fitted upon the pipe and has a counterbore 42 which is closed at its upper end by the lip 36, thereby providing an annular chamber around the holes in the pipe. The i upper portion of this annular member carries a. substantially cylindrical shell 44 which defines an annular receiving chamber 45. The upper end of this shell is turned inwardly to define, with the adjacent portion of the nut 34, an annular port for admitting air to the chamber. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, circumferentially spaced lugs 46 extend upwardly from the bottom of chamber 45 and engage the lower end of' the nut and the spaces between the lugs afford communication between the upper and lower annular chambers, thereby providing air passages communicating with the holes in the pipe and with the atmosphere. The lower portion of the annular member'has exterior threads 47 for engagement with a nut 48 having an inturned lip 49 adapted to hold an elastic ring 51, as a rubber ring, in engagement with the lower end of the annular member 'and with the exterior of the pipe. The elasticity of this rubber ring is sufficient to hold the annular member in any desired position on the pipe, thus making it possible to adjust the opening of the annular admission port, should this be desired.

While the arrangement of the elastic ring 51 Within the nut 48 provides a simple and efficient construction for holding the annular member in position, itwill readily be seen that this is not essential to the present invention as obviously the annular member may be fastened directly to the discharge pipe, as by being threaded thereon or a press fit thereon or other approved means may be provided for this purpose, in which event the nut 48 and the elastic ring lould be omitted. In Figs. 6 and 7 the upper and lower ends of the annular member 52 fit closely about the pipe 38, the intermediate portion adjacent the holes 18 being cut away to form an aol recarsi annular chamber 53 similar to the one disclosed in Fig. 3. Another annular chamber 5A disposed directly opposite the holes 18 extends radially outward from the chamber 53and longitudinally disposed holes 55 provide for communication between this chamber and the upper annular chamber 45. In all other respects the attachment illustrated in these views is the same as the devi-ce disclosed in Figs. 3,4 and 5. rlhe air passages in Figs. 6 and 7 have relatively large volumetric capacity which is desirable under some conditions of operation, but it Will be apparent that other forms of the invention could be modilied to accomplish similar results.

lt Will be seen that in each of the disclosed forms of the invention the air passages follow tortuous courses and are also readily accessible from the exterior of the valve casing. This arrangement not only avoids the use of devices having moving parts, such as check valves and the like, but also does away with the difficulty of locating such devices within the valve casing.

rl`he present invention has been illustrated as applied to flush valves as it inds great utility in this lield, but it Will be understood that in its broader aspects it is not so limited. While several forms of the invention have been illustrated it Will be obvious that various modifications thereof Will occur to those skilled in the art to which it pertains and it Will be understood that the invention is not limited except as indicated by the appended claims.

l claim:

1. A conduit for connection to the discharge size of a Hush valve, said conduit having ports adjacent the end thereof, an annular member on the conduit and having passages leading ;trom the ports longitudinally of the conduit toward the flush valve and to the atmosphere, the passages being open under all conditions of operation.

2. 'l he combination as set forth in claim 1,

and means providing for longitudinal ad! justment of the annular member on the conduit.

3. The combination as set forth in claim l, and means providing a smooth inner surface on the annular member for rictional engagement With the exterior surface of the conduit.

flf. rl`he combination as set forth in claim 1,A

toward the valve, said ducts being open under all conditions of operation for admitting air to the passage, means providing an exterior annular port for admitting air to the ducts, and means providing `for adjustment of the annular port for controllingthe flow through the ducts.

6. A lush valve comprising a casing hav1 ing a discharge passage including a seat :tor

a valve, a valve Within the casing and engageable With the seat, the casing having ducts extending longitudinally of the7 discharge passage substantially from the free end thereof toward the valve seat, a discharge conduit for connection to `the discharge passage, an annular member for connecting the discharge conduit to the discharge passage, the annular member having a recess forming a chamber With which the ducts communicate, and means for venting this chamber to the atmosphere.

8. A Hush valve comprising a casing having Aa discharge passage including aseat for a valve, a valve Within the casing and engageable With the seat, the casing having ducts extending longitudinally of the discharge passage substantially from the free end thereof toward the valve seat, a discharge conduit for connection to the discharge passage, an annular member for connecting the discharge conduit to the discharge passage, the annular member having an annular recess forming a chamber about the discharge passage, the ducts communicating With said chamber, and an inturhed lip on the annular member overlying the chamber and spaced from the'valve casing to form therewith an annular port for Venting the chamber to the atmosphere.

Signed by me at Springfield, Massachusetts this eleventh day of December 1929.

` HAROLD WESSN. 

